Texas Professor Terminated Over a Fascist's Doctored Video

Alvarez: Let’s give listeners more of a sense of just what exactly you have been going through, and how your case has become this flash point for the new MAGA right. That became explicitly clear on the day of your firing, which was also the day that Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated in Utah. Some people have jumped to the conclusion that you were a casualty of that initial wave of repression after Kirk’s assassination. But, the events leading to your firing predate that. I wanted to ask if you could walk us through the timeline of events, from you speaking at this conference to now.

Alter: I spoke at the Revolutionary Socialism Conference, a two day online conference beginning on Saturday, September 6. I gave the talk on my own time, from my home office on Sunday morning through zoom. The session that I was speaking on was titled ​“Building Revolutionary Organization Today.” This is a question that many of us on the left are grappling with, how do we organize ourselves in the face of all these attacks on working class people? During the talk, I didn’t identify myself as part of Texas State in any way. Later on during a break session of the conference, someone that recognized me from a previous conference asked me what it was like teaching at Texas State. Unbeknownst to myself and conference organizers, this wanna-be social media grifter, self-described fascist Karlyn Borysenko, filmed my conference talk then edited the section during the break about me being at Texas State to make it seem like that was during the conference talk. Then she was like, ​‘Hey, look, here’s this Texas State University professor advocating for overthrowing the government.’ 

Myself and other people that participated in the conference were aware of this online campaign, but we decided not to give it any air. Turns out, a few days later, the Texas State University President Kelly Damphousse appeared to have listened to it. 

I was at my son’s soccer practice. All of a sudden, I received a group text from local San Marcos community activists. They were calling for an emergency meeting to defend me. I was thinking, ​‘Oh, nevermind that online fascist, it’s no big deal.’ And then I saw the announcement that I had been suddenly terminated. This immediately became a flash point for many people that have concerns about academic freedom, free speech, democratic rights and union rights. My unions came to my defense immediately: The Texas State Employees Union, affiliated with the Communication Workers of America, and the American Association of University Professors. 

But foremost, it’s been the students at Texas State. I was fired on a Wednesday night and Thursday morning, they were out protesting. For five school days straight, students protested on campus, and then the internal organizing began.

Alvarez: All of that temporarily culminating in your reinstatement at the end of the month. Correct?

Alter: Yes, a judge correctly ruled that my due process had been violated in accordance with Texas State’s own policies, state law and my federal constitutional rights. The judge ordered my reinstatement, but not reinstatement back into the classroom. Since then, the university is following their due process rules and conducting an investigation. The president had a hearing this past Monday, October 6, where he said that they’re still charging me with grounds for my immediate termination, saying I was engaging in ​“partisan political activity.” That’s the latest charge against me. Initially, it was ​“inciting violence,” and then I was a ​“danger to the public health and safety of the Texas State community,” which is ludicrous.

We had the hearing on Monday. He said he would have a decision by the end of the week, but, here we are on Saturday, and I’ve heard nothing. I’ve got my 11 year old son every day when I’m picking him up from school, saying, ​“Hey, Dad, do you still have your job? Do we have to move?”

Alvarez: We’re having our conversation just days after Professor Mark Bray and his family fled the country because of Bray’s scholarly work on the history of anti-fascism. Your case comes at a time when the Trump administration is trying to root out this ​‘leftist, anti-American scourge ’ on campuses. In your corner of higher education right now, what has the past month taught you about where we are in this country?

Alter: These assaults on higher education and free speech and democratic rights have been ongoing for a few years. We saw it with the crackdown on students protesting against the genocide and for free Palestine under the Biden administration. But, what we are seeing now, in this past month, is an all out assault. History has been thrust upon us rather quickly.

This is where it began in Italy in the 1920s. You go after the universities then you go after the unions. That’s why I’ve seen so many organizations, trade unions, free speech activists and academic organizations rallying around this fight. 

Alvarez: Are there any lessons that you’ve taken away from this about how to maintain the fight for the things that we are fighting for while being cautious, protective and intentional about how we proceed in these very dangerous times?

Alter: Be yourself, speak to the truth and let the other side do themselves in. Once you start self-censoring, you put yourself in a weaker position. That being said, I used this term ​‘revolutionary socialism,’ in my talk. How do you explain that and what it means? That is the challenge: being true to yourself and your political tradition as a Marxist and as a socialist, but realizing those are really loaded terms for a lot of people. 

Alvarez: What may happen in the coming days and what can listeners do to support you, your family, your students and join the fight to defend free speech and academic freedom before both are gone completely?

Alter: In the next day or couple days, we could be celebrating a victory, or we could be looking at a protracted fight. But even if my case comes out positive, the fight doesn’t stop. What we did here at Texas State with the support of the unions, students, academic associations, supporters of free speech is what we need to be replicating across the country within our communities, on and off campus. Especially in Texas, where unions don’t have as much power, people have seen firsthand what a union can do as the basic defensive organization of the working class. So, I encourage everyone to join your union, become active in your union. Also join that particular political organization that meant something to you. Now’s the time to do it. It’s been time to do it for a little while. But now it’s really coming down to this do or die moment. Take power in that and take power from each other. It’s really empowering when you’re out there with fellow working people, fighting for your rights. Keep fighting, whether it’s around my case, hopefully it’s a victory, if not going we’re going to be fighting still. 

Editor’s Note (10÷14÷25): On Monday, Oct. 13, Alter was notified by Texas State University President Damphousse that ​“his employment at Texas State University is terminated, effective immediately.” ​“I stand in opposition to Texas State University’s attack on democratic rights that are protected by the Texas and United States Constitutions as well as the academic freedom that was once the hallmark of Texas higher education,” Professor Alter said in a public statement. ​“The charges leveled against me by the Texas State University administration do not stand up to the facts; I have truth on my side and I look forward to my day in court.”